advice

Juggling Blogging with Real Life

| Rhiannon

This week I wanted to talk about something that has been on my mind lately. Blogging is something that a lot of people do out of joy, and a few for money. It’s much more likely to cost you than it is to earn you anything. It’s also a lot of hard work. So how are you supposed to juggle something like this along with real life?

It’s actually really tough, so sorry if you were expecting a sugar coat – I won’t lie! There are times when I just have nothing to write about, or when I’m so busy with work that I can’t fit in a post. I’m sure you have noticed a few times when I missed a post! But the important thing is to keep going and try to make sure you don’t miss another too soon. Here’s my tips for juggling blogging and real life.

Finding Time

  • When you have time to make posts, do as many as you can at once and queue them up
  • That goes for cooking too! 
  • Make a recipe and film it the first time. If it doesn’t work you can make it again. If it does, you already have the video ready and this saves having to cook everything twice
  • Write posts on your phone on the bus or train or waiting room
  • Make quick notes right after eating so you can then type up the full review when you have time
  • Use Buffer to queue up your social media posts, and plugins to make those updates go to Buffer automatically

Funding

  • Take advantage of opportunities! If you are going out for a meal anyway, choose something that fits your blog
  • Blogging doesn’t have to be about who can spend most. Review cheap products that everyone can afford
  • Substitute expensive ingredients in recipes
  • Get in contact with brands who might offer you free samples in exchange for a review
  • Try free promotion opportunities, like Facebook groups and Project Wonderful

Inspiration

  • Follow other bloggers! Of course!
  • Look at your favourite celebrities in your niche. For example, I might check out Deliciously Ella’s latest recipes
  • Browse tags on Pinterest and Instagram
  • Use collection sites, eg TheKitchn for recipes

It’s not easy, but it is rewarding, and I love keeping my blog up to date. Have you got any more tips about fitting in your blog with real life, or stories about how you didn’t manage it in the past? I would love to hear them in the comments!

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How to make extra cash as a blogger

| Rhiannon

This is a topic that comes up a lot for bloggers, and having done this for a while now, I thought I’d share my two cents (perhaps quite literally). It has become a common perception that you can make a lot of money from blogging, but this isn’t really the case – at least, not for the majority of bloggers. It costs money to buy a domain and host a website, let alone to try all of the things you plan to review or blog about. So where does that money come from – and how can you make a little extra cash?

I’m sharing a few of my tips here today, allowing you to understand where I make a little extra cash and how. First off, I’m a freelance writer and photographer, so I have an income which is steady from those sources. These tips won’t support you fully, but they are a great way to earn a little pocket money.

 

Use your blog

The first thing to do is to monetize your blog. You can do sponsored posts and reviews, but normally only when you have a more established blog which companies are willing to pay to get featured on. In the meantime, you can look at options like adverts and affiliate codes. I host affiliate ads from Amazon on my sidebar – if anyone buys something through my link, that’s some cash in my pocket. There are lots of sites that offer this kind of service, so find something that fits well with your site and theme.

 

Use your skills

You can also earn spare change by doing reviews – that’s what you enjoy doing anyway, right? Sites like Slice The Pie allow you to earn a small amount per review, but they only take a couple of minutes each and you can make a withdrawal every time you hit $10. Wait until items are offered at bonus cash levels – this can bring in up to $0.30 a review, meaning you only have to do 4 to get over $1. 

You can also answer surveys over at Prolific Academic. Most of them pay pretty well and you also know that you’re helping with important research, which feels great!

If you have a certain service that you’re good at – like writing blog posts, creating reviews, or even making graphic elements – you can sell it on sites like Fiverr.com. I personally do a lot of graphic design there, as it’s something I can do fast and I feel is worth $5. I don’t offer blog posts there simply because I think my work is worth more than that, so bear this in mind if you are thinking of joining up.

If you are a crack shot with a camera, you can consider making photographs to sell as stock. Try PicFair – they have great rates for photographers and are an up-and-coming stock site. I sell my stock there too! Anything that doesn’t make the cut for your blog posts, so long as it doesn’t contain logos or other trademarks, can be sold as stock instead of just wasted.

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5 Foods You Should Never Refrigerate

Veggie Living
| Rhiannon

It’s time for a veggie living post today! I know we have a bit of a tendency to just shove everything in the fridge to try and keep it fresh, but sometimes that’s actually not the best option. Even if you have some leftovers that you want to eat tomorrow, storing them away in a cold place might not be the right thing to do. Here are five foods that you should never, under any circumstances, be putting in the fridge.

1. Bread

So most people probably don’t put a whole loaf of bread in the fridge – but what about leftovers? Are you guilty of putting last night’s pizza in the fridge to keep it fresh? The truth is, this is the worst possible thing to do with it. The time it spends in the cold will simply encourage the bread to go stale faster, so you will end up with an inedible crust and base in no time at all. If you want to keep it for longer, try keeping it in the pizza box or covering it with foil and leaving it out on the side. Putting in the freezer is fine however as this helps the bread to retain its moisture when thawed.

2. Melons

Melons are fruit, so they should be stored in the fridge, right? Wrong! They will actually do better outside until they are ready to eat. Once you cut them up, you can keep them in the fridge to prevent them from drying out too quickly. Most fruit actually slows down the ripening process in the fridge, so don’t put unripe fruit in there – but once it’s ripe, keep it cool so it doesn’t go off too quickly.

3. Potatoes

When you store a potato in a cold place, the starch starts to break down and convert to sugar. This makes them gritty and sweet, which is not what you want for your mash. They should be stored in a pantry or cupboard, preferably in a breathable paper bag. They want to be cool and dark, but not cold.

4. Honey

Honey has the advantage of being a natural preservative, meaning that you could still eat honey that was two hundred years old so long as it was kept in a sealed jar. You don’t need to do anything special to keep it going. If you put it in the fridge, however, the sugar will start to crystallise. This makes it harder to pour or scoop. If you’re having trouble getting your honey out, put it in the cupboard instead.

5. Tomatoes

Another fruit that can’t sit in the fridge? Yep! Tomatoes will start to form ice crystals when they are kept at low temperatures, which changes their texture – and not in a good way. It’s actually better to keep them at room temperature. This is one of the reasons why they are so good to eat when hand-picked from the vine.

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Veggie Living: How to Snack Healthy

| Rhiannon

Eating healthy is all about making the right choices at the right times. Unfortunately, however, your body also needs to eat – and sometimes you get hungry in-between meals. It is tempting to deny yourself food in order to try to stay slim, but really, the best course of action is to choose healthy snacks. This prevents hunger and allows you to stay healthy, keeping your body fuelled up for longer and helping you to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

There are many types of snacks that you can go for while still staying healthy. A lot of the time, it’s about choosing a healthy alternative to whatever you crave. Instead of a sugary mousse, why not try a snack like the Pudology pots, which are gluten and dairy free? This also lowers their calorie count and makes them a much better choice. You can also find popped crisps which can be as much as half the calorie count as traditional crisps. Nuts and fruit are also great snacks that you may find will help you to avoid cravings.

Pudology
Pudology

A debate which rages in diet circles is whether you should go for several small snacks or one big one. Personally I’ve always found that many small snacks is a better option. This satisfies your cravings and leaves you feeling more full. It’s also a great way of avoiding a situation later on where you are still hungry but have already eaten something big. If you want a big snack, however, make it count. Cutting up a veggie burger (which is always going to be more healthy than the meat version) with some salad in a wholemeal wrap is a mini meal in itself, but it is guaranteed to leave you feeling full for much longer. If you want more, always use fruit, vegetables, and salad leaves to pad it out rather than adding more “bad” food. 

Tesco Southern Fried Bean Burgers
Tesco Southern Fried Bean Burgers 

 

Another way to get your snacking under control is to go for Graze boxes. These are all portioned out properly so that you cannot eat too much at once. I’ve been using Graze for years now and I’m still in love with their snack range. If you want to try them out, I have a discount code here which will allow you to try them for free.

It’s really hard to avoid high-calorie food or overeating when you are really hungry. But think of it this way: allow yourself to eat unlimited fruit and vegetables instead of limiting yourself. You may well find that this freedom, which fills you up without the guilt of adding hundreds of calories, really helps you to settle into a better routine with food.

 

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